When Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012, it didn’t have a playbook.
While the state worked out the early rules regarding sales and taxation, it didn’t initially consider how years of marijuana criminalization had impacted historically marginalized communities, and whether those communities should get special access to opportunities in the cannabis industry. (As originally posted on Westword by HILAL BAHCETEPE)
But in the years that followed, other states that legalized recreational marijuana did consider those issues and built social equity provisions into their programs.
Colorado is now playing social equity catch-up. On October 1, Governor Jared Polis pardoned 2,732 past marijuana possession convictions. When he signed Senate Bill 111 earlier this year, he approved $4 million going to support social-equity marijuana entrepreneurs. And on April 20 — that unofficial stoner holiday – Mayor Michael Hancock signed into law Denver’s social equity program, which began accepting applications for licenses in June.
But has the state gone far enough? That was the focus of a discussion hosted by the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative (BCEI) on August 27, which involved dozens of industry experts, organizations, government officials and current social equity applicants.
“From a historical perspective, we’ve watched Colorado grow its social equity programs,” said Jordan Wellington, a partner at VS Strategies. “Initial funding is $4 million. I don’t think we’re going to stop there. We’re certainly going to ask for more — but that’s a great start for this program.”
An applicant for a Colorado social equity program must be a state resident and not have had a cannabis business license revoked. An applicant must also meet at least one of the following criteria: They must have lived for fifteen years — between 1980 and 2010 — in an opportunity zone, or disproportionately impacted area, as designated by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade; been arrested for a marijuana offense, or had an immediate family member arrested for a marijuana offense; have a household income that does not exceed 50 percent of the state median income.
In addition, those receiving social equity licenses must have at least 51 percent of the marijuana business.
“A lot of white folks talk to each other, they don’t talk to Black folks about what it is that we think,” said John Bailey, lead coordinator of the BCEI. “What they end up doing, is they think they know what the relationship should be, and therefore, they guide their clients along those lines. I think part of what happens is that folks need a different perspective to be able to help them guide their clients so that their best practices and thinking has a social equity dynamic and can help them consider how what they do might be impactive of the community they know nothing about.”
Aja Palomino, a social-equity licensee, has been working in the cannabis industry for four years. Had it not been for her background and the connections she’s made, she said it would have been nearly impossible to become a successful entrepreneur.
The biggest hurdles have been fundraising and finding new industry prospects, she explained; setting up a successful deal can come down to a head nod or shake from bigger industry…
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